1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a recording medium, and a program. More particularly, the invention relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, a recording medium, and a program for reproducing the same content as that reproduced by another information processing apparatus connected via a network, in such a manner as to display, on an image of the reproduced content, pointers of users of the connected apparatuses pointing to desired positions on the displayed image.
2. Background Art
There exist telephones, videophones, and videoconferencing systems which allow people at remote locations to communicate with one another (in what is called remote communication). Other ways of remote communication include connecting to the Internet using personal computers or like equipment to communicate in text chat or in video chat, the latter mode involving video and audio exchanges.
It has also been proposed that the parties in remote communication share virtual spaces and the same contents (songs, moving and still pictures) between them using personal computers or the like on the Internet (e.g., see Patent Document 1)
Meanwhile, there are techniques for allowing the communicating parties to point to specific positions or areas on the shared content image. Illustratively, CCD (charge coupled device) cameras or like devices are used to detect the communicating parties' hand motions, and the detected motions are translated into movements of pointers such as cursors on the display screen (e.g., see Patent Document 2)
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2003-271530
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 8-44490